2/10/2013 This Way Out

"NewsWrap": France's National Assembly says "absolument!" to a critical marriage equality bill component, but U.S. Senator John McCain calls inclusion of lesbian and gay bi-national couples in immigration reform discussions "a red herring"; attorneys defending the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's marriage equality-banning Proposition 8 at the Supreme Court each oddly argue that gay and lesbian couples are not entitled to civil marriage because they "don't present a threat of irresponsible procreation"; Ontario's Kathleen Wynne becomes Canada's first female and first "out" provincial premier, while a small Canadian study finds that "out" gay and bisexual men are generally happier than their heterosexual peers; Wyoming's state House rejects both marriage equality and domestic partnership proposals, while the once dead "Don't Say Gay Bill" is resurrected in the Tennessee legislature; and San Francisco's Twin Peaks Tavern scales new heights (written by GREG GORDON, produced by STEVE PRIDE, and reported this week by VASH BODDIE and MICHAEL LEBEAU)

While important battles certainly remain to be won, the long moral arc of the universe does finally seem to be bending towards justice for the LGBT rights movement in the U.S. Just this week, marriage equality continued on the march in Illinois and Hawai'i. A ban on equality stalled in Indiana, and church groups in Omaha, Nebraska were unable to gather enough petition signatures to repeal that city's new LGBT anti-bias bill. Many people are also citing word this week that the venerable Boy Scouts of America may drop its national policy banning openly gay leaders and scouts – although reports suggest that the organization will still allow local chapters, many of whom are sponsored by Mormon and Roman Catholic church groups, to maintain the discriminatory policy. The progressive trend was nevertheless noted this week in "Gaywatch – Unprecedented Penetration Edition" on Comedy Central's "THE DAILY SHOW with JON STEWART" (includes comments by FRANK S. PAGE, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Baltimore Ravens linebacker BRENDON AYABANDEJO) [www.thedailyshow.com]

There's a little super hero in all of us, and there's a special event for LGBT people to celebrate the history, and the future, of queer comics. BENT CON has been bringing artists, writers, gamers, actors and producers together to explore all facets of the art form for three years now. "This Way Out" correspondent ANGELA BROOKS was in Burbank, California for the most recent gathering (with comments by JUSTIN HALL; ABRAHAM LEE and P.K. EISELT from Minus Zero Productions; MICHAEL DERRY; ASTRID LYDIA HOHANSEN; and ZAN CHRISTIANSEN; and with intro music from the unreleased "Superheroes Can't Be Gay" from a skit performed on the Norwegian TV series "Collective", and outro music from "Superhero" performed by CANDYE KANE) [justinhallcomics.com; troycomics.com; ellejohara.com; prismcomics.org]